Since Katrina, Elizabeth's has been the culinary and social center of Bywater. Like the neighborhood itself, its style blends hipness and funkiness. It is to Downtown what Jacques-Imo's is to Uptown--with some of the same decor, even. After a hiatus following the storm, breakfast is back as a mainstay. But the place hops most in the early evening. "Real Food Done Real Good" is the slogan, and the image that gives is true.
In 1996, Heidi Elizabeth Trull left the Windsor Court Hotel where she'd been cooking and opened a catering business in the Bywater section of downtown. The area was becoming cool, with a sense of neighborhood. People who smelled Heidi's cooking thought they could eat there, and after awhile they could. Elizabeth's began as a breakfast and lunch spot with enough unique specialties (notably the praline bacon) that it began to draw eaters from all over town. The restaurant was sold a couple of times and its food evolved into a hybrid of rustic Creole and Cajun with bistro-style dishes.
Elizabeth's is in an old building that looks to my eyes like a late-1800s house raised up to make room for a business. Both floors are used for the restaurant now. Downstairs, every table seems to be fitted into a slot or a corner, the better to create a sense of community, whether you want it or not. Upstairs, a big antique bar sets the theme, with more space in all dimensions and a cooler vibe. The walls are covered with signs and folk art.
The daily specials are far and away the best food you can buy here. If you speak with someone who's really wild about this place, add a grain of salt.
| Attitude | 1 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 2 |
| Local Color | 2 |
| Service | 0 |
| Value | 0 |
| Wine | 0 |
